And yet another T120...

auldblue said:
Fast Eddie said:
Yes Jimmy I'm well chuffed!
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Got to be!

Chain guard basically how it sits in relation to the rear wheel , mine is a bit skew whiff and according to Roy bacon may take a bit of time to fit properly, thanks. I ordered a venhill cable Friday . Incidentally what is the colour of the tanks , is it Hi-Fi Scarlet ? Sorry for the Hijack.

Jg
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Will PM you some pics but won't be till Friday. I can tell you it's a bloody tight fit, my brake rod rubs on the inside of the shock and the brake rod locating bush rubs on the chain guard and I can't see how to remedy this.

Yes, colour is Hifi Scarlet, a correct match I beleive.
 
trident sam said:
Don't forget to loctite the carb flange nuts :evil:
As if you would !
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Shouldn't there be some rubber backed steel washers on those nuts?
 
chasbmw said:
trident sam said:
Don't forget to loctite the carb flange nuts :evil:
As if you would !
Click to expand...
Shouldn't there be some rubber backed steel washers on those nuts?
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Not on the '68, I think they came later.

I'll keep an eye on them. I've got a big adjustable spanner...
 
It seemed kinda obvious that the oil leak was from the primary as it didn't leak before I'd fiddled in there!

So I delved back in and I think I've sussed it (touch wood, fingers crossed, etc). Basically, at some point in its past, the primary chain had worn through one of the thread bosses, so when I cleaned out the threads with a tap, like a good boy, I opened up the leak! So I cleaned everything scrupulously, put a smear of silicone on the thread and built up a PTFE 'washer' under the head of the offending Allen bolt, new gasket etc and all seems well.

As I'd got the primary open again, I thought 'sod it' and decided to fit a 3 phase high output alternator I'd got on the shelf. So I fitted the correct 3 phase podtronics unit that replaces the rectifier and Zener which allowed further under seat wiring tidying. Looks quite nice under there now:

And yet another T120...


So, onto seats...
It seems there are UK and Far East options. The Far East ones got pretty bad press. The two UK suppliers are Leightons or P and P. I 'm not a huge Leightons fan, so I got a P and P seat from TMS, apparently P and P actually supplied the factory. To be honest, it's still not 'right' to my eye, but is as good as they get it seems. It fits well, and the gap twixt tank and seat is now gone:
And yet another T120...


Onwards and upwards...
 
That really is a great looking bike, now if you could just reinstate the missing cylinder ........
 
trident sam said:
That really is a great looking bike, now if you could just reinstate the missing cylinder ........
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Well yes, but then it would lose its slender lines and light weight wouldn't it?

However, 750 barrels and Pistons would bolt straight on... Hmmmm...
 
OK mate ,
here is my take, and I know it's your bike to do as you please but ...
A mate of mine put a 750 Morgo on his pre OIF Bonnie, and ended up with Less go.
You have in my opinion apart from The TT Bonnies , the best looking T120 ever made so if you do put a big bore on it and do end up with more performance, then you will need better brakes, better suspension etc etc then where does it all stop, you'll take away the essence of the bike.
Of course you could if and when funds allow, get a basket case and properly go to town and Thruxtonise it.
As I say though it's yours and you'll do what you'll do !
sam
 
Oh dear... this can't be good... I find myself in a strange place right now... I am in agreement with a Trident rider!

Seriously, I do agree with you, the bike as it is, really is a well balanced package and, as you say, too much enhancement in any direction would open up that same can of worms that the Trident Hunter came from!

And I ain't going that route!

Possible deviations from stock that I had toyed with are:

1. A belt drive. Nothing wrong with primary chains, I just like belts better. And ditching rotating mass in the primary would complement the lightweight crank I think. So this is a possibility for winter.

2. A 5 speed gearbox. The stock triumph 5 speed box is lovely, and a peppy 650 would benefit from it better than a 750. Trouble is, the current 4 speed job in this bike is really so sweet, so I can't see me changing it.

3. A Routes style 750 (ie stock looking barrel) I think that so long as the Pistons were lightened, a 750 block should enhance low to mid range grunt without any significance down side. But this is only something I'd do if / when there's no re-bore options left for the stock barrel.

So unless a failure of some kind necessitates replacement, I think the only nicety on the shopping list is the belt drive.

Some general comments on the bike now I've put a few miles on it:

Firstly, no wonder they were so popular in the day! Compared to a Commando, even my Trident Hunter which has shed a lot of weight, the T120 just feels SO light and nimble. Around town (in Oxford) it's a real blast! And out of town, it blasts up to a ton so easily.

Alan said that when he rebuilt it he didn't have the crank balanced as it was already so smooth. And he's right, it really is surprisingly smooth, so much so that I'd guess someone has dynamically balanced it in the past, but who knows, maybe it was just one of the 'good uns' that the law of averages produced on occasions!

Anyway, enough waffle now, I only popped in for a quick cuppa, the sun is out and I'm off for a blast through the Oxfordshire countryside. Life is good. Catchya later...
 
trident sam said:
Triton Thrasher said:
Your wiring improvements look like you now have at least some chance of reliability.
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Yeah, that bike was so unreliable it was ridden to Spain and back with me on my Trident
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If it makes you buggers feel any better, I had to fix my own shoddy wiring today.

Lack of charging traced to the AC leads emerging from the Alton alternator. I seem to have tried to push bullets into a socket wherein an old bullet already resided. And it looks like the battery is scrap.
 
Fast Eddie said:
hope you found it at home and not at the roadside in the wilderness??
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It had been intermittent in various locations. You tend not to fret about charging, with magneto ignition. Then yesterday and today it ceased charging for long enough for me to find zero AC voltage reaching the regulator, find the loose connection, fix it and get the voltage back.
 
I have a 69, in very original condition, just been admiring the original pancake air filters, how is it best to stop them vibrating loose, locktite on the threads or lockwiring them together?

Don't want to replace with patterns

Cause or paper filters?
 
Hi Fast Eddie - I just checked in to the forum this evening having been absent for a while, to see your very tidy, clean Bonnie! Congrats!

What's the vibration like? Have you given it the berries yet?!!

Mine is down to the last nut and bolt, such was the state it was in. When things start to happen, I'll post a few pics. It has a belt drive conversion that runs in oil and a SRM clutch. Since you mentioned a possible belt drive, I can post some pics of mine.

I am hoping mine will look somewhat like yours when I've finished but with the Aubergine and Alaskan White paint scheme (which has grown on me). And I'm keeping the TLS front brake and Concentrics even though they are not original to that year. And I've got one of those reed valve breathers. I had one on the Commando and have one on my 450 Duke. They work.

Dave
 
Well, I haven't given it full beans yet, but have opened it up a bit.
The tacho seems to stop at 3500rpm though (gonna send both clocks to Gaggs for a refurb me thinks), so I can only guess, but would say I've had it to 5500-6000rpm.
It pulls very well and sounds lovely and crisp. Quite addictive!
I am very surprised with how smooth it is to be honest.
Next job is that it feels very under geared to me, so will look at options on this front.
Yes please, some pics of your belt drive would be great, I'm guessing it's a Tony Haywood job?
 
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